Stainless steel for stainless water

Although widely considered a basic human right, universal access to clean drinking water remains a challenge. Stainless steel is part of the solution.

About the author

Matjaž Matošec is Editor of Stainless Steel World News and Manager of the Stainless Steel World Conference.

Among the countries where access to clean drinking water cannot be taken for granted is India, whose rapid urbanisation is creating ever-greater demand for adequate and uninterrupted clean-water supply. While we often see images of India in the media and tourist industry that show the many natural and man-made beauties the country has to offer, those who have been there know that clean water and even the most basic levels of sanitation are often hard to find. It’s a country of enormous contrasts. India can boast that it has 10 citizens on the Forbes list of the world’s richest 200 people; and yet it is also 61 on the Global Finance list of the world’s poorest countries, faring worse than even Nigeria, Bolivia and the Congo Republic.

Happily the stainless steel industry is playing an important role in improving the health and quality of life of many ordinary people in India. In a recent article published in the March issue of Stainless Steel World News, Nirmal Mathur, President of the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) took a closer look at how India is promoting stainless steel to address this issue. He opens his article by making a reference to a new initiative known as ‘Smart Cities Mission’:

“The Smart Cities Mission is an innovative new initiative of the Government of India to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to their citizens, which includes a clean and sustainable environment with ‘smart’ solutions…It is worth noting that in the mission statement much emphasis has been placed on adequate and safe drinking water supply.”

There is no doubt that the challenge is huge, despite the massive investments being made. The shortage of clean water is exacerbated by several factors including shortage, waste and leakage, and contaminated ground water. Access and access and delivery of safe drinking water vary from state to state and even within a given state. In this context the choice of materials used for storing and transporting water are critical to prevent contamination and corrosion affecting the water. Mathur goes on to say:

“The choice of material for recycling, transporting and storing water is of utmost importance to maintain quality and hygiene. Stainless steel is known to play a major role in helping to cope with these challenges around the world. In India, the stainless steel industry has been promoting the use of the material in water-related applications for a long time, but slowly and steadily its potential is now being realised.”

Would you like to learn about specific water-related applications where stainless steel is fast gaining acceptance? See the March issue of Stainless Steel World News, p. 15, or read the PDF version of Nirmal Mathur’s article.